Shoe-shaper



(vNo 'ModeL) I J. W. SK-INNER. SHOE SHAPER.

No. 531,393. Patented D330. 25, 1394.

WITNESSES: INNENTURQ UNITED STATES JOSEPH W. SKINNER, OF LA OROSSE, WISCONSIN.

PATENT OFFICE.

SHOE-I-SHAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,393, dated December 25, 1894.

Application filed April 12,1894. Serial No. 507,312. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. SKINNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Grosse, in the county of La Orosse and State of Wisconsimhave invented a new and useful Shoe-Shaper, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices which, when attached to a shoe, tend to preserve the original shape of the shoe.

Shoes, when worn, absorb moisture from perspiration of the foot and from damp walks. When the shoes are removed and the moisture in them evaporates the toes of the shoes curl up forming injurious and unsightly wrinkles or creases across the instep.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap and efficient device which can readily be attached to a shoe and which willpreVent the toe of the shoe from curling while the shoe is drying.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which-- Figure 1 is a top view of my device; and Fig. 2 a side view of the shoe-shaper attached to a shoe.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout both the views.

The construction of my device is as follows: A wire is doubled and at the bend a hook 10 is formed adapted to catch the sole of a shoe near the toe. A part of this hook is flattened asshown at 11. Each end of the wire is sharpened to form the points 12 and 13, and each end is then bent as shown. Portions of the wire, near each end, are covered with pieces of rubber tubing 14 and 15. A flat piece of metal has each end bentaround each wire so as to form the slide 16.

The'device tapers outward from the toe hook to the heel points.

The wire should preferably be of spring steel.

The operation of my device is'as follows:

of such a shape that the rubber bearings do not hold on the heel firmly enough, the points 12 and 13 should be inserted into the sides of the heel.

A t'I claim, and desire to secure by Letters atentof the United States, is-

j) 1.' A shoe shaper consisting of awire spring jfiformed with a hook 10, adapted to attach one the heel, as shown in Fig. 2. If the heel is aving now fully described my invention,

i end of said shoe-shaper to the toe of a shoe,.

:and with-the points 12 and 13, adapted to attach the other end of said shoe-shaper to the heel of a shoe, and provided with the slide 16, adapted to clamp said-points 12 and 13 into the heel.

2.;A shoe-shaper consisting of the combination with a wire spring, formedwith a hook 10 at one end and provided at the other end with the rubber bearings 14 and 15, of the slide 16, adapted to clamp said rubber bearings upon the 'heel of said shoe.

3: The combination, in a wire spring shoeshaper, of the hook 10 located at one end of said shoe-shaper, the points 12 and 13 and the bearings 14 and 15 located at the other Witnesses W. D. CAMERON,

H. E. WILLSIE. 

